Pastor Andy brings the message, “Grace for 2023” from John 1:16-18. What do we want to focus on as a church and as individuals this coming year? What will define us? This year, let's be defined by Grace.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Jesus Above All." In Mark 9:1-13, we see the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain and a voice from heaven declaring Him to be the Beloved Son. Clearly, Jesus' exalted status is being proclaimed, but it's Peter who unknowingly says that Jesus is on par with Elijah and Moses. How often do we fail to see Jesus' glory and then place Him right alongside (or below) other good things?
Pastor Andy brings the message, "Identity and Mission" from Mark 8:27-9:1. Mark 8:29 is the watershed moment of the gospel: Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah. The disciples finally understand Jesus' identity. Immediately, Jesus begins to reveal his mission. With the disciples, we will begin to see Jesus' identity and mission as inseparable. And his identity and mission have ramifications on the cost of discipleship.
Pastor Luke brings the message, "The Power of the Church" from Acts 12. There are times when it seems like the church will be snuffed out like a struggling flame, or that the oppression and persecution will grow to a point when the darkness will overcome it. Yet, we are reminded in Acts 12 that the power of the church does not rest in the people of the church, but in the object of their faith.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Boasting in the Cross” from Galatians 6:11-18. As Paul concludes his letter to the Galatians, the one testimonial he leaves is his readiness to boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That begs the question: “What are Christians and local churches known for?” As a church family, LBC must be known as a group of people who “gather and scatter” with a message that boasts only in the cross of Christ.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Sow to the Spirit.” In Galatians 6:6-10, Paul completes his theology of Spirit-led relationships with a picture of sowing and reaping. Our role within the context of relationships can be compared to the planting of seeds. Each seed being a selfless act of love under the authority of the Spirit or a self-seeking act carried out in the flesh. The passage urges us to answer, "Are we living by the Spirit or the flesh?"
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Keep In Step with the Spirit" from Galatians 5. What does a church family look like that is "keeping in step with the Spirit"? A church that is governed by the Spirit will treat others, especially those who have fallen into sin, with a certain kind of care and gentleness. A Spirit-led congregation is also made up of individuals who are worshiping the Lord through their own personal obedience to Him.
"Walk By The Spirit" from Galatians 5:13-21. Every day we face a crucial decision: will we follow the Spirit of God or our flesh? In Galatians 5, God's Word commands us to walk by the Spirit and in doing so we will not gratify or fulfill the desires of the flesh. What would it be like if we followed the Spirit into every aspect of life?
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Freedom to Love” from Galatians 5:7-15. When you think of personal freedom, you might think of it as someone who gets whatever he or she wants. However, that's not freedom, but slavery to impulse and desire. Paul shows us that freedom is a Spirit-empowered ability to genuinely love and serve others.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Stand Firm.” You’ve seen people slip on the ice. Maybe it was you that recently felt the pain. In a spiritual sense, it’s easy to “slip.” We slip into wrong thinking and eventually slavery to sin. However, in Galatians 5 we are instructed to stand firm and given practical help to do so.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Son of Hagar…or Sarah?” When God promised the aging Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, and when the timing of their coming son seemed to be too far gone, Abe and Sarah took matters into their own hands with another woman named Hagar. The outcome was disastrous. The lesson is that either we believe God will fulfill His saving promises in His strength, or we foolishly think that we can become the primary acting agent. One path is freedom for the soul, the other is slavery to a task we can never complete.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "Loving Those Who Are Erring” from Galatians 4:9-20. How can we respond to those who have gone off (or are in danger of going off) the “tracks?” In this section of Galatians, Paul’s example is practical and helpful for us. His goal for these dear friends is God-honoring and his appeal is grounded in Christian love.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "You’re a Son, Not a Slave.” Galatians 4:7 - “You are no longer a slave, but a son…” Why would a freed slave ever return to his life of bondage? It makes no sense, yet that’s what many Christians do. We trust in Christ for salvation (we are free from the law), but then we revert back to a mentality of using our own works to try to secure our relationship with God. Through Christ our relationship with God is secure and we are His sons…forever.
Sunday Morning...Pastor Nate brings the message, "Who We Were, Who We Are" from Galatians 3:22-29. As we come to the end of Galatians 3, Paul explains how the law was our guardian in the past. However, as Christians, we are no longer under the law. Rather we have come into a new relationship with God by faith in Christ, and now we are His sons.
Sunday Morning...Pastor Nate brings the message, "Promise, Law, and Faith" from Galatians 3:15-22. How often do we come to our personal Bible reading and gloss over a section of Scripture because it seems to be irrelevant to everyday life? At first glance, our next section in Galatians might feel that way. But there are jewels of truth to be obtained in this passage. Pray that God will give us a blessing from His Word through this passage.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "The Blessing of Abraham" from Galatians 3:6-14. As we move into the doctrinal section of Galatians, Paul unpacks the theology of the Gospel by using the OT character of Abraham. He was a man who believed what God had promised, and God blessed him accordingly. The connection that Paul makes is that we have been given the promise of Christ, and if we live by faith in Him, we are one of Abraham's sons, receiving the blessing. What is that blessing? You'll see it in this passage.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “The Truth of the Gospel” - Part 2, from Galatians 2:14-21. As we continue our sermon series in Galatians, it’s clear that Paul’s great desire is for People to accurately understand the Gospel. As it was then, so it is now…some are teaching that belief in good works is what saves a person. What a hopeless outlook in life! The Bible teaches us that we are sinners, that Christ died in our place, and that belief in Him alone is what saves us from hell. So, the Gospel is not belief in good works. It’s belief in Jesus.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “The Truth of the Gospel” - Part 1. Even the best of Christians leaders will at times fall into the “fear-of-man” trap. In this next section in Galatians, Paul uses failure of Peter and Barnabas as a platform to begin teaching on justification. Paul’s point is that we certainly will not be justified in God’s eyes by works that impress others but rather by faith in Jesus.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Accepted by the Apostles.” Some of the early churches planted by Paul were later deceived by false teachers who claimed that circumcision was needed for salvation. In Galatians, Paul is responding with the message that salvation comes by faith alone in Christ alone. But the question is: “Why should we believe you, Paul?” That question is what Paul is answering in chapters 1-2 of Galatians.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Called by God’s Grace” from Galatians 1:10-24. The testimony of a changed life is very powerful because it begs the question of “how?…how did that person change?” In our sermon this week, Paul employs the tool of testimony to point people back to God as the one who powerfully calles people by His grace.
Pastor Nate brings the message, “Jesus…Given for Our Sins.” This message begins a new sermon series in the book of Galatians. In Galatians Paul explains what the Gospel isn’t, and how the Gospel is manifested in our lives. You familiarize yourself with Galatians by picking up a study Bible and reading the introduction material.
Pastor Nate brings the message, "God Pursues" - Part 3. In this series we have seen how God is graciously moving toward us. We have sinned against Him and are deserving of His eternal wrath, yet God has pursued us for His glory and our good. In this message we look at Galatians 4:1-7 to see what Jesus accomplished for us when he came into the world.
